Apple has officially introduced the Apple Watch Ultra 4, bringing a new generation of health-sensing hardware, the company’s latest S11 chip, and longer endurance to its high-end smartwatch lineup.
The new model was unveiled during Apple’s September 10 launch event alongside the iPhone 18 series and several other products. In China, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 starts at 6,499 yuan, with pre-orders opening September 11 and retail sales beginning September 18.
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Focuses Heavily on Health Tracking
Apple says the Apple Watch Ultra 4 is designed to play a more important role in health and fitness tracking. One of the biggest changes comes from its updated health-sensing system, which features a larger electrode surface designed to maintain better contact with the skin during measurements.
The upgraded system also increases the frequency of heart-rate sampling. According to Apple, the watch can collect heart-rate data every five seconds, while heart-rate variability can be monitored every five minutes.
These changes are intended to give the Apple Watch Ultra 4 a more detailed picture of the user’s physiological data rather than relying solely on occasional measurements.
The Heart Rate app and watch-face complications have also received updates, making it easier to access health information directly from the watch.
New Fitness Features Add More Context to Health Data
Apple is also expanding the way the watch presents fitness information. Within the Fitness app, users can view a body score designed to provide a broader interpretation of their current physical condition.
Apple Intelligence can use available data to generate suggestions, with recommendations changing according to the user’s condition and collected activity information.
Another addition allows users to manually add and synchronize medical records. Based on available measurements, the system can also recommend related videos from clinical experts, giving users additional health information to explore.
These features make the Ultra 4 more than a conventional activity tracker, although the information should still be viewed as wellness data rather than a replacement for professional medical evaluation.
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Adds On-Device Sound Recognition
The new smartwatch also introduces expanded audio intelligence features.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 can recognize certain everyday sounds, including alarms, doorbells and a baby’s crying. This could be particularly useful when the wearer is exercising, working with headphones on, or otherwise unable to immediately notice an environmental sound.
Apple is also adding a new recording-related feature that can turn conversations into text summaries. English will be supported first, while Apple says it has built privacy protections into the feature.
S11 Chip Brings More Processing Power
Under the hood, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 uses Apple’s new S11 chip, which combines upgraded CPU, GPU and NPU capabilities.
The additional processing power should help the watch handle more demanding health, fitness and intelligent features while keeping everyday interactions responsive.
The combination of new sensors and faster processing is particularly important because many of the Ultra 4’s new capabilities depend on analyzing information locally and presenting useful results without making the user manually interpret every measurement.
Up to 50 Hours of Battery Life
Battery life remains one of the Apple Watch Ultra series’ major advantages.
Apple rates the Apple Watch Ultra 4 for up to 50 hours of normal use. During standard workout tracking, the watch can operate for up to 18 hours.
For longer endurance activities, an extended workout mode can provide up to 45 hours of continuous tracking. That makes the Ultra 4 better suited to activities such as ultra-distance running, where keeping GPS and fitness monitoring active for many hours can quickly drain a smartwatch battery.
The combination of long battery life and advanced fitness tracking is therefore one of the clearest reasons to choose the Ultra 4 over a more conventional smartwatch.
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Price and Availability
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 is priced from 6,499 yuan in China.
Apple will begin accepting pre-orders on September 11, followed by official retail availability on September 18.
With its new health-sensing system, S11 processor, sound recognition, intelligent fitness features and up to 50 hours of battery life, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 represents a substantial upgrade focused less on appearance and more on health, endurance and intelligent tracking.
For athletes and users who regularly rely on a smartwatch for long workouts, navigation and health monitoring, those improvements could make the Ultra 4 one of Apple’s most capable wearable devices yet.